| Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1523 Franklin Street (at Austin St.) San Francisco, California, United States |
|
| Information | |
| Established | 1976 |
| Accreditation(s) | None |
| Publication | Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality |
| Website | www.iashs.edu |
The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality (est. 1976) is a non-accredited[1] degree-granting institution and resource center in the field of sexology located in San Francisco, California.[2] Degree and certificate programs focus on public health, sex therapy, and sexological research. The Institute grew out of research in the 1960s highlighting the general lack of understanding of and formal training in human sexuality. The library and archives, part of which are on display at the Erotic Heritage Museum, form one of the world's most comprehensive collections of adult films, academic sexological and erotological resources, and sex therapy training materials.
Contents |
The path that led to the founding of the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in 1976 began in 1962 with a study commissioned by United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, United Presbyterian Church, American Baptist Church, and Southern Presbyterian Church on the nature and needs of early adults, especially as relates to sexual identity and homosexuality. Ted McIlvenna, who would become the president of the Institute, headed the San Francisco arm of the study. The study highlighted the lack of research on human sexuality and the absence of demonstrated effective training and educational methodologies. A meeting in 1967 at the Institute for Sex Research led to the formation of the National Sex Forum as part of the Glide Foundation to address this lack.[3]
By 1974, it was clear to the Forum that a free-standing institute dedicated to the study of and education and training in the emerging field of sexology was required. They divied the creation of the academic institute as: McIlvenna to re-envision the Forum as an academic setting; Laird Sutton to collect a graphic-resource library; Herbert Vandervoort to organize and prepare the academic work of the study team; and Marguerite Rubenstein, Loretta Haroian, and Phyllis Lyon to define the professional training standards for the new academically trained professional sexologists.[3] Wardell Pomeroy was the first Academic Dean.[4]
The Institute was integral to the development of humanistic sexology, emphasizing experiential techniques and sexual pleasure over positivist empiricism. The culture of casual as well as clinical nudity and the inclusion of various bodywork and erotic massage techniques led to the Institute being nicknamed "Fuck U" by some critics.[5] The inclusion of Reichian therapy and other techniques not well founded in research has similarly led to criticism.[5]
Degrees are offered in Master of Human Sexuality, Master of Public Health in Human Sexuality, and Doctor of Human Sexuality, as well as Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with a focus in sexology and erotology. They also offer professional certificates in: Associate in Sex Education, Clinical Sexology, Sexological Bodywork, Sexological Instructor/Advisor of AIDS/STI Prevention, and Erotology Certificates.
Coursework varies by degree sought, but includes formal academic lectures, group-based discussion, video lectures (which may be undertaken off-site as part of a distance education program), and hands-on training in therapy and bodywork. Research-based degrees include independent or directed use of the Institute's extensive primary and secondary archives of sexological material.[6][5]
The Institute is listed with the California Department of Consumer Affairs' division California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).[7] BPPE is not part of the Department of Education and not an accrediting agency.
IASHS is also a member of the Association for Private Postsecondary Education in California (APPEC)[8], a non-accrediting industry advocacy and support organization that lobbies for and provides information about regulatory requirements to educational institutions that are not accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).[9] In 2009, APPEC sponsored California S.B. 489, an anti-diploma mill law that established the BPPE.[10]
In addition to its educational and archival mission, the Institute engages in outreach, such as teaching sex education to underserved teenagers in demographics at high risk for pregnancy. Ted McIlvenna, president of the Institute, favors a curriculum focusing on teaching teenagers techniques for "obtaining healthy, respectful relationships with their partners" rather than abstinence-only sex education.[11] The Institute has produced safe sex books, videos, and assorted paraphernalia.[5] The archives include hundreds of thousands of adult films, as well as documents tracing the development of sexology as a field of research and training and educational materials; together, they comprise one of the most comprehensive sexological and erotological resource centers in the world.[12][13][14]
A rotating selection of films and other art are on display at the Erotic Heritage Museum.[15]
The Institute favors open discussion of sexuality, including such issues as oral sex, masturbation, homosexuality, BDSM and informed consent, teen sex and pregnancy, and sex therapy. Roger Libby, adjunct professor, sex therapist, and author of The Naked Truth About Sex: A Guide to Intelligent Sexual Choices for Teenagers and Twentysomethings, encourages the use of extensive pre-sex discussions to set parameters and establish comfort levels.[16][17] Professor and Dean of Professional Studies Charles Moser has argued that paraphilias and BDSM should be removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).[18][19]
The Institute publishes the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality each year. Articles are reviewed by the editorial board with supplemental review by readers.[20]